Twisted Fate (Fortitude Memories)

by Tracey Jukes

  She sits down next to me, and holds my hands like she always does when we’re having a heart to heart. “Honey, it’s about time you had someone who can look out for you, and if there are benefits alongside it, then what harm can it do? Yes, he is a little overprotective. Actually, extremely overprotective. But you are a strong-willed woman when you want to be, and if you put your mind to it, you can handle him.”

  “Really? You think I can handle Reid?”

  We both drop back on the bed, and Nyla continues talking about how she thinks it’s about time I had some fun and male attention. If he wants to protect me in the meantime, then it may just help bring my confidence back and help me to move on. I was strong once, but I let my parents rule everything about me, even when I became of age for drinking and sex. Nyla’s right. It’s time for me to take back control.

  I think about what she said, and I know I’ve been over analyzing things, but I want to have some fun with Reid. I think, deep down, beyond his macho ways, there’s a guy who’ll look after me in every aspect. I shoot him a quick message.

  Me: I’m out. Will see you tomorrow, then we’ll talk.

  He responds straight away, which doesn’t surprise me in the slightest.

  Reid: Fine, I’ll do it your way. Can I know where you are? Just wanna know you’re safe.

  Have I got him wrong? It’s a bit much in such a short space of time. He has warned me often enough of his dramatic ways.

  Me: Okay, we’re going to Good Room. Now stop hassling me. I’ll speak to you tomorrow.

  All remains quiet from him, so I’m guessing my last message has heeded him. So, we head out for a fun night.

  We’re ordering cocktails whilst the club’s slowly filling up to the pumping music. We grab our drinks then head for a high table on the edge of the dance floor. We’re sitting there when we hear voices behind us. We turn to see Jase, with his twin sisters, Melody, and Macie. Nyla gives me a smirk. She knew they were coming. It was all planned. So much for our girly night out, but I’m not annoyed. The more, the merrier. Jase is more of a girl, anyway. The twins are stunning, with long blonde hair and legs that seem to go on forever. They’re good girls, but they’ve just turned twenty-one, and now Jase has his hands full keeping an eye on them. He’s very protective, as any big brother would be.

  It’s time for some dancing when Shout Out To My Ex starts playing. I grab Nyla and the twins, and we mingle with the crowd, dancing our asses off. I'm not sure how many songs have passed, but the twins have gained the attention of a group of guys.

  Two guys make a beeline for Nyla and me. We’ve have had a few cocktails by now, and we’re feeling playful. I should behave considering everything I’ve been through, but my body is telling me to let loose. What harm can it do to dance with them? They come up behind us, and I feel some large hands grip my hips. I freeze, and then I remove them from my body.

  Then he whispers in my ear. “Just relax and dance.”

  He’s a little close, but his hands are now being kept to himself.

  So, I’m swaying, and as the music gets further along, I look over to Nyla and notice she now has her arms wrapped around a guy’s neck. I’m not stopping her, as she needs to have fun after everything Russell has put her through lately. It couldn’t do any harm. It’s been a while since we had some fun like this.

  The guy who has his hands on my hips takes the lead, and we carry on dancing. He turns to face me, but he’s become way too close for comfort. I put my hands on his chest to push him away, but he’s too close. Then, without warning, he grabs my ass, pinning us together. Grabbing hold of his biceps, I struggle to get him to move back. Even as I try to back away, he has a firm hold of me. Now I’m scared. Why won’t he let me go?

  “Get off me, please.”

  But he doesn’t budge.

  I look at him, about to plead again when I see his dry lips are all puckered up and heading for mine.

  Oh, shit, no. I start to turn away when I feel him let me go.

  “I believe the lady said get off.” Puckered lips has been pulled away. Now, I’m face to face with Reid. An unhappy Reid.

  The guy has scuttled off somewhere, but I’m more focused on the fact that Reid is here.

  “Thank you for saving me.” I say.

  He lowers his mouth to my ear and growls. “No one gets to put their hands on what’s mine, and in case you didn’t understand the first time, hear this. You’re most definitely mine.”

  His tone is one of deep anger, but he also looks wounded. Fuck, is this my doing? This isn’t fair on either of us, and I’m tired. He’s not exactly given me much choice about how it will be, but I think he’s proved he isn’t going anywhere fast. I need to pull up my big girl pants, take a chance, or say adios once and for all.

  “I’m sorry. Nyla and I just wanted to have some fun dancing. I never expected that.” He still hasn’t said anything, so I try something else. “Will you dance with me?”

  He doesn’t have to be asked twice. I’m pulled into him, and we start swaying together.

  Life is about chances, and I’m taking this one. I’m tired of being a good girl. Life’s been really cruel these last few months. Maybe Reid is the medicine needed. Hot, sexy, and a whole lotta fun in between. The protective stance is a big plus with how jittery I am. It also has its advantages as he’s my own personal bodyguard.

  I snicker to myself, but then realize I was doing so out loud. The alcohol in my system doesn’t help. Now Reid’s looking at me like I’m crazy, which is probably true.

  “Care to share what’s so funny?”

  I stay quiet, staring up at him, then I reach up on my tiptoes and wrap my arms around his neck. I wrench his lips towards mine and kiss him with all the passion I can muster. He kisses me back just as fiercely, and that’s when I have a brave moment and jump into his arms. We’re making out like wild animals while dancing. His arm grips me tight round my ass, the other is in my hair while he growls like a beast in the middle of devouring my mouth.

  I’m certain by this point that I want him. I whisper in his ear.

  “I need you. Please take me home.”

  He swoops me up into his arms and heads out of the club. He gets me to hold his phone to his ear while he chats to Ash, I presume.

  “Ash is taking Nyla home. He’ll take good care of her, I promise.”

  It’s like he can read my mind and knew what was going through it without me speaking. It took all my worry away about my best friend.

  I’ll still have words with him about him invading my phone. There are boundaries, and he’s crossed them. But right now, my body hungers for everything that’s Reid.

  We jump in a cab, and once inside, Reid wastes no time in pulling me on to his lap so I can straddle him. Damn, I’m feeling bold now. His hands are roaming everywhere, and it feels electric.

  “Your skin feels so soft, like silk,” he pants.

  His touch is soft but rough at the same time, and it’s setting sparks off all over my body in places I never knew were sensitive. I want, need, and crave so much more.

  I’m dry humping Reid. These firsts just keep coming, and I hope they don’t stop. We’re becoming more sexually heated as the cab ride goes on. He tries adjusting his bulging

  erection; it looks uncomfortable in his jeans. We arrive within minutes at the apartment building. Reid rapidly exits the car then clutches my hand to help me out.

  “Who would have thought you could be a real gentleman underneath that rough exterior?”

  Reid gives me a devilish look, and then I’m slung over his shoulder, only to be waltzed through the foyer, squealing like a child.

  “Oh, a gentleman I can be. But right now, I want you upstairs in my bed, so I can worship you like the royalty that you are, okay?”

  A grunt sounds, signaling that Lance heard everything Reid said. I drop my head in shame on Reid’s back as I’m hanging over his shoulder.

  “Lance,” Reid says, striding towards the elevators.
<
br />   “Reid,” Lance replies. I look up and mouth sorry, only to see the biggest grin on his face, which he cheekily follows with a thumbs-up sign.

  Even Lance is happy about this. The door slides shut on the elevator. Reid slides me down, but pins me against the wall to continue his sexual torture on me. Who am I to complain? His kiss is an addiction, and I will always need more. It’s like I can’t let him go. This is what he meant when he said pretty much those words to me too.

  From our first kiss, I was hooked. I dreamt of all the naughty and dirty places those lips could go, and don’t get me started on what he could do with that mouth of his. His hands travel down my neck and then along my shoulders. He grabs hold of the straps of my dress, ripping it open and baring my breasts.

  “What the fuck?”

  He growls like a beast, and I can’t help but look into those mesmerizing chocolate eyes of his. I don’t get a chance as he latches on to my nipple with his mouth, and the sensations that spark through my body are like nothing I’ve ever experienced.

  His other hand slowly maneuvers across the other breast then slides over my hip until it reaches the hem of my dress. My panting has become heavy, and lasting doesn’t look good. When the elevator pings and the doors slam open, I gasp because I expect to see someone waiting to enter. Luckily, there isn’t, and we’ve reached Reid’s floor where he tugs me out, not letting me cover up. I begin to protest when he opens a door and swoops me into a bedroom so fast I hardly have time to catch my breath.

  Standing in front of me as Reid is right now, it’s like looking at a god. He’s pure perfection. His eyes are filled with lust, and I know his cock will do things to blow my mind as it’s struggling to stay inside his pants. He strips off his top and pants and remains only in his boxers, then he steps closer to me, brushing my hair behind my ear before gently kissing me again. He drops gentle kisses to my cheek then my neck while slowly removing what’s left of my dress from my body. It feels different than when we were in the elevator, and true to his word, he is slowly worshipping me. Eventually, my tattered dress drops to the floor, and I’m left in my lace panties. He wraps his fist around them, and with a quick tug, they’re gone. Being exposed so suddenly, I gasp.

  “I will replace them,” he says with a grin. “In fact, it may be best if you don’t wear any again, princess.”

  I don’t know what to say to that. No one has ever spoken to me with such words before, and while I still think he is a caveman with issues, I’m hugely turned on by it and too busy thinking of my soaked panties that he ripped off.

  “Really!”

  “Sshh. Just follow my lead and trust me.”

  I am now completely naked and at his mercy. My body is craving his more than it should, but it’s been too long since I’ve had sex, and Reid is sparking things within me that no man has ever done before. I don’t know how long I can last before that first orgasm ricochets through me. If I’m naked, then he should be too. I want to see every part of this beast in front of me. Bending down, I hook my fingers into his boxers waistband, pulling them down until his cock springs free and juts upwards towards his stomach.

  I gulp loudly. Massive is an understatement. His package is what the ladies were gawping at in the gym, and I can’t blame them, but it’s all mine now.

  I must’ve been observing a little too long as I’m being lifted up. I use this chance to wrap my legs around his waist. Looking into his lustful chocolate irises hypnotizes me. It’s like his eyes draw me to what’s underneath that rugged exterior of his. He’s staring at me now with such hunger and passion, I know there’s no going back, and I’m done fighting it.

  Reid kisses me and consumes me with his caresses. He places me gently on the bed, leaning over me and kissing my earlobes. I move my hand to feel his cock, and he groans loudly as I take it in my hand and slowly stroke him. He strokes his index finger across my now throbbing clit, and my breathy pants become more and more erratic. I need Reid Taylor more and more, and I’m eager for him to make love to me.

  “Please, Reid,” I beg.

  He thrusts his fingers inside me and his thumb rubs over my clit. The sensations that are building within my stomach are so powerful it’s like I’m about to combust.

  “Holy fuck. ARRGGHH!”

  Reid whispers in my ear, “Scream the building down, princess. Go for it.”

  He doesn’t relent on the thrusting. His fingers are pushing in and out of me so fast that the orgasm building within me is on the brink of detonating.

  “I need to taste you.”

  This is a new concept for me. Previous boyfriends never got that far; it wasn’t something I felt comfortable with. With Reid, it’s different, but he must sense my hesitancy because concern crosses his beautiful face.

  “First time?” I just nod in reply. “I’ll be gentle, I promise.”

  He slides my legs apart and groans. Then he licks upward over my clit and sucks. Gripping the bedsheets with my fists and digging my heels into the bed, I try to control the orgasm tearing through me like a freight train at a hundred miles per hour. No orgasm has ever done this before.

  “Jesus Christ, Reid,” I cry out as my body spasms out of control. He keeps up the assault until my body lapses slightly. He then peppers kisses up my torso until he reaches my lips. I turn my face away, because kissing a guy after that seems wrong, but he isn’t letting me off that easily.

  “Never before?” he asks, and I shake my head. “I promise you’ll like it. Do you trust me?”

  I nod, and he kisses me gently. It’s not like I thought at all; it’s quite sweet.

  Before we get too carried away, Reid stands and walks over to his bedside unit. I’m unsure what he’s doing when I hear a foil packet being ripped open. In the next instant, he’s at the foot of the bed, rolling the condom over his swollen cock. It’s fucking beautiful. My desire for him is so hot, and I need him filling me faster than a speeding car on a race track. I gulp because his cock seems to have swelled even more while I’ve been admiring it. But before I can think any more, I’m pulled down the bed, and Reid gently slides himself inside me.

  “I need to know if I hurt you, okay?”

  I look up at him and the alpha male that I’m used to seeing is still there, but this guy is all about caring for me right now. While I love it and want to take things slow, my hormones and body tell me otherwise, and I want my alpha Reid right now.

  “Yes, now can you please fuck me hard, Smiler?”

  The nickname is all it takes; he grabs me by my hips, pulls back, and thrusts inside me, repeating it over and over again like a savage animal. He pushes my legs up onto his shoulders, then his hands are on my breasts, pinching at my nipples. From the deepness his cock is taking and the pain his hands are causing on my breasts, I feel another orgasm building, and I know this one is going to rip me apart.

  I run my hands up and down Reid’s back, but the sensations running through me are becoming too much, so I grab the side of the bed as his thrusts become wilder.

  “I can’t hold on, Reid! I’m coming.”

  “Go for it,” he growls as he pours himself into me with an almighty roar.

  “Fuuuck.”

  My whole body is trembling from the most intense orgasm that has ever ripped through me. I’m on a high. My limbs feel like they’re floating, and I can see stars floating above my head. My whole body feels ravished. Reid gently takes my legs down from his shoulders, then crosses the room, removes the condom, and disappears into the bathroom.

  Chapter Eight

  What just happened? Why’d he go straight to the bathroom after what was the best sex of my life? Deciding I’m not going to hang around and be made a fool of, I grab my things off the floor and run for the apartment door.

  “Going somewhere?” I halt but can’t bring myself to turn and face him. There’s anger flowing from me, but I feel vulnerable, and I won’t let him see that. He comes up behind me then turns me around so we’re chest to chest. Well, nearly. H
e’s taller than me, after all. He places his finger gently under my chin and tilts my head up, so I have to look at him.

  “Did I do something wrong?”

  How can he act like he did nothing wrong? Leaving me there after pulling out of me made me feel like a whore. Then he goes off, getting dressed like nothing happened. I thought I meant something to him. My temper is getting the better of me, and out of nowhere, I slap him hard across the face, which stuns us both.

  “What the fuck was that for?” He rubs his cheek.

  “Are you fucking kidding me? Did you think you’d get to fuck me and then walk away when you were done? Wrong again. I won’t let you humiliate me a second time.”

  I turn to walk out the door, but he picks me up and takes me back to the bedroom. I’m kicking and screaming when he puts me down on the vanity unit in the bathroom.

  “Just so we’re clear, I came in here to start running the water for the shower. Damn thing takes time to heat up, and I didn’t want to put you in a cold shower.”

  It’s then I notice the steam in the bathroom, and the shower is running.

  “And just to clarify, do I look like I’m dressed?”

  Very awkwardly, I look down and there, in all his glory, is Reid’s naked form.

  “Eyes up here, or there will be more than a shower happening.”

  “Hmm.” I sigh.

  “Why would you think I would do that to you? Have I not made my feelings clear enough?”

  Now I’m the guilty one. I misjudged what he was doing, when in fact, he was looking after me. I’m so used to looking after myself that having someone look out for me is now a foreign concept.

  “I’m sorry. I jumped to the wrong conclusions and assumed you were done with me. I couldn’t bear to be humiliated like that and be another notch on your bedpost.”

  “Hey, I’ll admit, I’ve had my fair share of women. I can’t change that. But you, you’re different, and I said I will do whatever needs to be done to make you mine.”